Health Ministry, Upper House work together to prevent breast cancer

Breast cancer takes a heavy toll of more than 23,000 every year

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MOSCOW, July 17 (Itar-Tass) —— Breast cancer takes a heavy toll of more than 23,000 every year, Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said at meeting of the Upper House Committee on social politics. Modern methods of treatment help to cure cancer in almost 75 percent of breast cancer cases, Skvortsova said.

Last year the number of breast cancer cases in Russia went up by 3. 3 percent, she said. In 2011 a total of 55, 184 women in Russia were diagnosed with breast cancer. The death toll is around 23,000 annually, Skvortsova admitted. Nonetheless, radiation therapy might help cure up to 75 percent of women suffering from breast cancer, the minister said. Russia has everything necessary to improve the situation, Skvortsova said.

A standard package of services fully financed at the expense of the Russian Mandatory Medical Insurance System (OMS) has been adopted. Besides, the so- called cancer screening system was created, which envisages that doctors on a primary level are to send a patient to an oncologist if any cancer symptoms are suspected, Skvortsova said.

Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko suggested that the Health Ministry should draft a document envisaging measures necessary to lower the risk of developing breast cancer. " We should realize what funds are needed to cardinally improve the situation," the speaker stressed..

Measures for prevention of breast cancer should be included in a separate sub-program in the framework of a general program on oncology, the speaker said. "If our support is needed at the stage of budget formation on the sub-program, we are ready to help," the speaker assured.

After we raised the subject it aroused the pharmaceutical community which has been offering its methods of treatment and medicines, Matviyenko said. The Health Ministry should determine what methods of treatment and medications are most effective in terms of the final result and optimal price politics, Matviyenko said.